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Bio of Prof. John Quiggin

Updated on date by author

Bio of Professor John Quiggin

John Quiggin has been an active member of the Australian economics profession since joining the (then) Bureau of Agricultural Economics (now ABARES) in the late 1970s. Apart from two temporary appointments in the United States, he has spent his entire career in Australia, at the University of Sydney, the Australian National University and James Cook University. Since 2002 he has been at the University of Queensland. As of 2024, he is semi-retired, with a primary focus on public engagement.

Although he has worked on a great many topics, his abiding interests have been decision theory, resource and environmental economics and Australian public policy. He has published 10 books and over 250 journal articles. Recent and forthcoming books include Western Welfare Capitalisms in Good Times and Bad (2023), After Neoliberalism (2024) and Public Policy and Climate Change: Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Quiggin has followed the path of earlier generations of Australian economists (notably including agricultural economists) who saw it as part of their job to take an active part in debates on public policy. While some of his contributions have been made through academic publications, the greater part has been addressed to the public at large. He has written numerous ‘trade’ books, published in paperback and aimed at a general audience. Recent examples are Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk Among Us and Economics in Two Lessons: Why Markets Work so Well, and Why they can Fail so Badly.

As well as commenting regularly in print and broadcast media, Quiggin has been very active in exploring the potential of new media. In 2002, he established what is now Australia’s longest-running political blog at johnquiggin.com.

In political terms, Quiggin advocates a mixed economy, with democratic social control over sectors of the economy where competitive markets cannot deliver adequate outcomes, including infrastructure, health and education, underpinned by a public commitment to full employment.

Prof Quiggin visited Norfolk Island in March 2024 without professional fee and delivered two lectures on governance.

Joint Standing Committee 2024

Updated on date by author

The Joint Standing Committee of the National Capital and External Territories (JSC) of the Australian Parliament in November 2023 released its final report on the governance of Norfolk Island. Read the JSC report here. See in particular the seven recommendations:

 

Recommendation 1
6.112 The Committee recommends that the Norfolk Island Governance Committee incorporate into its terms of reference consideration of the development of a preamble for the establishing legislation that:
recognises the culture, traditions, heritage and history of Norfolk Island;
• defines the nature of the relationship between Norfolk Island and Australia; and
• sets out the shared aspirations for the future direction of the relationship.

Recommendation 2
6.121 The Committee recommends a new bespoke model of local governance for Norfolk Island, to be enacted through Commonwealth legislation after thorough community consultation to define some key aspects of the model.

Recommendation 3
6.127 The Committee recommends that the new governing body include both democratically elected and appointed members with specific expertise in public administration, and that:
• the governing body consist of at least six members;
• a majority of members be elected, with elected members holding the balance of power on the body;
• the appointed positions be reserved for individuals with expertise in relevant matters of public administration, selected via a merit-based process that preferences qualified local community members where possible; and
• capacity building be a key responsibility of the governing body to ensure that more Norfolk Islanders are qualified to hold future governance positions either in the governing body or local administration, and in the procurement of goods and services by the administration.

Recommendation 4
6.132 The Committee recommends that the Norfolk Island community have a say in the governing body, including that:
• the recommendations contained in this report be referred to the Norfolk Island Governance Committee for further consultation and refinement;
• this consultation and refinement result in a model that includes a clearly defined preamble for the establishing legislation, the size of the governing body, the specific expertise required by this governing body, and the revenue models to be incorporated into the establishing legislation; and
• a binding, compulsory vote of registered voters on Norfolk Island is required to approve the final model determined by the Norfolk Island Governance Committee.

Recommendation 5
6.134 The Committee recommends that the first elections for the new governing body should be held prior to December 2024.

Recommendation 6
6.138 The Committee recommends that the governing body be adaptive and supportive of the unique local history and identity of Norfolk Island, and that:
• the new Commonwealth legislation contain the form of the preamble developed by the Norfolk Island Governance Committee; and
• the legislation contain provisions for periodic review to ensure that the governing body is adaptable and can meet the future needs and interests of both Norfolk Island and Australia.

Recommendation 7
6.145 The Committee recommends that the responsibilities of the new governing body and the mechanism for local input into Commonwealth and State responsibilities be clearly defined following the restoration of local democracy on Norfolk Island, including that:
• to ensure Commonwealth and State services meet local needs—the governing body should have a formal advisory role in relation to education, health, population strategy, heritage management, biosecurity, sea-freight and tourism;
• the management of key historical sites of cultural importance to the local community be subject to joint management between the Commonwealth and the local community; and
• these matters be incorporated into the terms of reference of the Norfolk Island Governance Committee for further local consultation and refinement.